The 2022 Form 4 exams did not leak, the national examiner has said.

The Kenya National Examination Council absolved itself of blame over supposed leakages of examination materials, saying parents were duped into paying millions of shillings for fake papers.

Knec CEO David Njeng’ere on Thursday told the National Assembly Education committee led by Tinderet MP Julius Melly in Mombasa claims of exam papers on sale are usually made by fraudsters.

“We will share the social media sites that claim to have those ‘genuine’ examination papers. People pay money to rogue agents. They have been made to believe those sharing the papers are Knec officers. They are not,” Njeng’ere said.

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The committee is probing allegations of cheating in the 2022 KCSE.

On Thursday, the committee grilled Education CS Ezekiel Machogu, PS Belio Kipsang and Knec CEO Njeng’ere at PrideInn Paradise Hotel in Mombasa.

Njeng’ere said national examination papers are usually accessed by a limited number of people once they are set.

“It is not possible for people to access those examination papers prior,” the CEO told the committee, and gave them a challenge.

“Enter those social media sites, get those papers and keep them. Wait for November and compare them with the actual papers,” Njeng’ere said.

On claims that some examination centre managers, who are the principals of the schools, had prior knowledge of what practicals would be done, the CEO acknowledged the council usually sends advance instruction to schools.

However, the instructions only direct the centre managers to prepare certain solutions and other reagents or instruments in parcels clearly marked confidential.

“These advance instructions don’t come with questions that candidates will be given,” said the CEO, adding that some principals share the instructions with people, misleading the masses.

He however said there is no other way than to send the advance instructions to ask schools to prepare for the practicals.

He defended the council against claims of weaponisation of the examination, with legislators and some parents taking issue with the deployment of heavy security around examination areas.

Njeng’ere said the multi-agency approach to examination was introduced in the 2016 reforms to bring back the credibility of national examinations.

CS Machogu and PS Kipsang said the ministry has proposed amendments to the Knec Act of 2012 to include the 2016 reforms, saying most of the things that were brought about by the reforms are yet to be anchored in law.

For instance, according the Act, exam papers are supposed to be kept in police armouries. However, the 2016 reforms introduced containers where the exam papers are now kept.

Marakwet West MP Timothy Kipchumba accused Knec of becoming a law unto itself because there is no proper oversight of the council.

He suggested the establishment of a Kenya National Examination Regulatory Authority to keep Knec in check.

However, Njeng’ere said the council has not done anything outside the law and cannot be said to have become a law unto itself.

“We have not at any point exceeded the powers given to us in law,” he noted.

He said the council has been constrained on the budgetary front and called on the MPs to lobby for a bigger allocation.

He said the issues with the striking examiners that were witnessed in the 2022 KCSE exam were not a creation of Knec.

“Before 2016, Knec used to collect examination fees from learners and these were used for administration of the exams. However, this was scrapped and the government took over the fees,” the CEO said.

Instead, the government started giving the council a flat Sh4 billion grant when the candidates population was about 500,000 in 2016.

However, to date, the grant has remained more or less the same but the candidates population has almost doubled.

“We are the only institution not funded based on per capita. We are given flat grant. This grant cannot meet the needs of the examiners, exams and other related issues,” Njeng’ere said.

Melly said some of the problems with the national exams are a result of poor funding.

The MP said they will recommend better funding of the council so as to better administer national exams.

“So that it is able to pay examiners on time, have very good facilities, make sure the marking centres are improved,” Melly said.

The Kenya National examinations council, KNEC, has confirmed its plans to incorporate the knec examiners who were trained this year into the KNEC database. This will add into the pool of examiners that KNEC currently has.

The examiners were trained as one of the steps in preparing for the 2021 KCPE and KCSE exams.

“Preparation for this year’s national exams are in top gear and the council has started training teachers on how to mark the exams,” said David Njengere, the KNEC CEO during a past press statement early this month.

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The training took place between October 3 and 9 with the trainees set to be incorporated into the KNEC examiners’ database.

Primary school teachers were trained as examiners in composition and Insha papers while secondary counterparts were trained in marking English, Kiswahili, Biology, Chemistry, History and Government, Agriculture and Christian Religious Education.

KNEC chief executive officer Dr David Njeng’ere says adequate plans have been put in place to ensure the exams are taken as per the Government calendar.

KCPE exam will be taken between March 4, 2022, and March 9, 2022. KCSE exam, on the other hand, will run from February 28, 2022, to April 1, 2022.

This year, 1,225,693 candidates have enrolled for KCPE, while 831,026 have enrolled for KCSE. The enrollments represent a relatively significant increase from last year’s candidate population.

Thirty-four thousand and eighty-five (34,085) more candidates will sit this year’s KCPE compared to last year, representing a 2.86 per cent increase. In the 2020 KCPE, 1,191,608 candidates registered for the national test.

The 2021 KCSE class has seen a significant increase in enrollment from last year; 78,424 more candidates will write the secondary examination, representing a 10.42 per cent. In the 2020 KCSE, 752,602 registered for the final exam.

In KCPE 2020, twelve thousand, four hundred and sixteen (12,416) candidates did not write the national test despite registering for the exam.

The Kenya national examination council, KNEC, has received a new chief executive officer (CEO), to claim the position of Mercy Karogo, who has been serving in the acting capacity.

Dr. David Njengere Kabita has been appointed as the chief executive officer of Knec. Kabita is expected to assume office from July 1^st 2021.

“The council is pleased to announce that it has appointed Dr. David Njengere Kabita to the position of chief executive officer of the Kenya national examinations council with effect from July 1^st 2021,” reads part of the letter signed by KNEC chairperson, John Onsati.

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Currently, Dr. David Njengere Kabita is serving as the education advisor to the cabinet secretary, ministry of education. The letter describes him as a distinguished educationist with over 30 years’ experience. Njengere who owns a Phd in education, is a specialist in curriculum design and assessment.

Njengere will take over from Mercy Karogo, who has offered services to the council for the last five years.During her leadership, Karogo enabled KNEC to achieve its  transformative agenda  through reforms which have ensured the restoration of credibility and integrity in the national examinations in Kenya.

Njegere is assuming office at a time when Covid-19 has interfered with the normal school calendar, prompting new normal examination periods. He will be expected to skillfully spearhead the two KCPE exams expected in 2022.